The Crux of the Problem
by IvoryQueen
Summary: Natsu Seis is reluctant to reach new heights when joining Magnolia High School's rock climbing team. But will a fated encounter with a quiet but impressive schoolmate, Gray Fullbuster, be enough to convince him of the fun filled escape over coming a fear can be? Pairings LoLu Jerza MystWalker but most importantly, Gratsu! Shounen-ai! Dont like? Don't read!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**Okay Gratsu fans! This one's for you! Telling you now, it's a high school AU and the characters are _super_ OOC (there's never enough space in the description)! And for the record, I am alive.**

**Pairing include:**

**Jerza**

**Mystogan x Knightwalker (A/N 2.0: I renamed Erza Knightwalker to Lyla Scarlet. Scarlet so that she can be Erza's twin because to me that makes sense, and Lyla because it's Hebrew for night as to reference Knightwalker.)**

**Gratsu**

**Lolu**

**If you don't like those pairings, feel free to leave at any time. Thanks for reading what you have already.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail, it'd be a soap opera...**

* * *

"Lucy, you're out of your mind," the pink haired boy glared at his blonde friend shoving a flyer in his face.

"Come on, Natsu," the girl whined in protest, her big brown eyes pleading his compliance, "It'll be so much fun!" But Natsu's resolve did not waver. In fact, if possible, his accusatory scowl toward the mint green paper deepened.

"You know I'm afraid of heights!" He stressed quietly, pushing the climbing team waver down out of his face and trying to push past his cheerleading best friend. But the girl was just as persistent.

"So," she challenged supportively, "What better way to overcome your fear than to face it head on." Natsu went to protest but Lucy cut him off. "I hear Jellal and Mystogan are joining." Lucy fed suggestively. The pinkette blushed a little, the blue haired Fernandes triplets we're beautiful specimen. But the boy would not be swayed, and in under a second he'd regained his composure.

"Jellal's after Erza, and Mystogan's after Lyla," the tan teenager reminded. The pale girl averted her eyes as a small sneer began to form on her thin lips, grumpy at his observance. She should have seen it coming in all honesty, the pink haired boy was one of the brightest students at Magnolia High School.

"Or maybe it was Jellal and Seigrain?" The cheerleader tried in vain to secretively exchange one of the beautiful, blue-eyed, straight triplets out for the beautiful, blue-eyed gay one. Natsu saw right through it. With a skeptically raised eye brow, the boy began to discredit her.

"Really," he challenged, "Really. You seriously expected me to buy that. They may all look exactly alike, but you and I _both_ know their names are near _impossible_ to confuse." Lucy threw her arms up in defeat.

"I don't know! It was one of the two! All I know is that Jellal is joining with one of his brothers, because Erza said she was making him and he said he was making his brother." She explained, still trying to save herself and refusing to drop the subject.

"No," the pinkette stressed, trying desperately to get the word to penetrate the blonde's think skull. He was losing this battle to that perseverance, he could feel it. But there was no way Natsu was willingly scaling a ten foot wall of removable plastic rocks. Lucy, however, had one more trick up her sleeve. This, she was positive, would be sure fire.

"I'll be right there with you the _whole_ time." The friend card. "I'm a cheerleader, too! I know how to spot, so I can be right there to catch you if you fall," she stated pointedly. Natsu sighed. He knew he was going to regret his next statement, he just knew it. There were even a hundred and one reasons still left over for him to combat her with. But the teen was tired of fighting, and maybe, deep down in his truest heart of hearts, maybe he wanted the challenge.

Lucy held her breath in anticipation of her best friend's reply. Finally, Natsu breathed out a barely audible, "Fine." He'd hardly said the word half way when the girl started squealing in delight.

"This is going to _so_ much fun!" Lucy began to ramble, but Natsu simply blocked it out as they headed off to first period English.

* * *

**A/N: So? Thoughts? I keep threatening this, but for anyone who reads my other stories, I'm seriously considering discontinuing Aria. Sorry but I'm losing interest. For everyone else my only question is should I keep going? Warning: I'm bad at posting, so you might get a little fed up with me. But I'm trying my best! And I promise once summer rolls around and I grab more free time (because that totally exists as a teenager trying to get into college) I will post more frequently! Tell me thoughts please! Was Natsu too OOC? Were you ready to hit Lucy? Was there enough comic relief? Please tell me _anything_except please don't leave flames unless you're trying to feed Natsu. Was this author's note to scattered? I'm serious all praise, thoughts, constructive criticisms, ideas, suggestions, accusations of insanity, anything pertaining to any part of the story (including the Author's Notes and description) are welcome! Talk to me! I'm lonely!**

**-IvoryQueen**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again my friends! I apologize about the shortness of the first chapter. Gomenasai. I also want to apologize for the absences of Gratsu in the last chapter, but sadly there will be none in this chapter either (though I did fix the problem of length :D). This is going to be a multi-chapter story so tru Gratsu interaction won't come until later, again gomen. Pairings are still as they last were. And now the review corner!**

**TheseLumps45:**

**Here it is. Hope you like it.**

**AznAkatsuki:**

**Thank you but I think we'll have to agree to d****isagree on the OOC thing. But I'm still glad you liked it.**

**darkhuntressxir:**

**I'm psyched too XD**

**ai:**

**Why, thank you! *bows***

**Warnings for this chap:**

**Abusive parenting/offensive language and still the ever present OOCness that comes with an AU. And always the shounen-ai so if you don't like it, don't read.**

**Disclaimer: I wish.**

**And now without further ado, Chapter 2.**

* * *

Tuesdays were climbing days. You signed up on Fridays and paid thirteen dollars each week, and you went with the group of maybe fifty other students to Magnolia's climbing center, Edolas. The first time Natsu heard he'd be spending thirteen dollars every week to do something majorly against his will, he nearly bitch-slapped Lucy. She ducked and backed up waiting him to calm down. During the day on the Friday Lucy cooked up this twisted plan, Natsu received a climbing waver from the school, two wavers from the center itself, and a permission form to go off campus after school for two and a half hours; this also asked you to make sure you had a ride home from school at seven o'clock at night every Tuesday. Natsu wanted to choke something. He'd be spending two hours cowering on a wall, just to get down and want to get back up again to escape his father, Midnight, who'd have to come pick him up! Midnight would not be happy about that. And spending thirteen bucks a week on this would put him that much further from his new used car he'd maintained a job to save up for... Natsu _really_ wanted to choke something.

That evening Natsu came home to the pleasant surprise of his father is a "generous" mood. The ebony and ivory haired man sat with his dirty combat booted feet propped up on the kitchen table, a cigarette stuck between his purple painted lips, his blood shot ruby eyes glowing with a false comforting warmth.

"How's my favorite homo son doing?" The vulgar man exclaimed when the teen walked through the garage door. Natsu hated doing this. He hated asking his father for anything. Not because it might inconvenience the man, oh no, because it might upset him. That and he didn't want to depend on him. He cringed at the thought of pissing off the older man, knowing the consequences, but he sucked up his fear anyway, reminding himself that even if this didn't anger his father there was still a high chance the man would beat him up anyway just because.

"Hey, Dad," the pinkette approached warily, Natsu really did resent his father, but he needed something from him, so he'd have to be nice. Midnight cut him off just before the boy could continue.

"Is that a pleading tone I hear?" The sly man sneered. Natsu began to back up as his father rose from his seat to confront him, "When did my son get to be so spoiled to think he could just ask me for things, hmm?"

Natsu shuddered as his father cornered him against the kitchen wall, punching the moldy cracking drywall right next to Natsu's head. Again, Natsu went to respond and again he was interrupted by the rotted branch of his genealogy. "Let's see what _more_ my pampered faggot son wants from his adoring father before I decide whether or not it's a punishable offense." Midnight taunted his son harshly.

But Natsu wouldn't back down.

"I-I," the teen choked on his words. Weren't kids supposed to feel safe when asking something of their parents? "I was just wondering if you'd fill out these papers," he requested meekly, tanned fingers trembling as he held up the various wavers and forms for his father to hopefully sign. But the pinkette's hope in his father, thought very little existed, was misplaced.

With his free hand, Midnight batted the flyers across the room with a sneer and bitter delaration of, "I don't sign jack-shit!" The man's ruby eyes flared and Natsu was sure to be slapped across the face so hard he bled. But like Natsu had noted walking into the room after school: his father was in a decidedly "generous" mood. "Pick that shit up!" The pale man demanded tossing an accusing finger at the permission information, "I don't wanna see any more legal shit in my house, do you understand? Your gonna clean up that mess, go to your room, and stay there. As a matter of fact, I have half a mind to ground you for stickin' the government on my tail, but since I'm a nice guy... We'll just let you off with a warning and without dinner, how does that sound?"

Natsu tried desperately not to gag as the smells of stale beer, cigarette smoke, and vomit wafted to his nose through his father's yellow teeth. Luckily it was a rhetorical question so Midnight didn't expect an answer. The disgusting man just pushed himself up from the wall, shoved his son toward the mess of permission papers, and watched as the pink haired teen gathered the papers and went to his room. From there he called Lucy.

"Hello?" A sweet bubbly female voice resonating with curiosity greeted on the other end.

"Hey Luce," Natsu sighed tiredly.

"What's up," the girl chirped kindly.

"Hey, can I come spend the night at your place? My dad's being too much to handle," the boy could almost hear his best friend's face drop, "Or maybe I'm just not in the mood to deal with him," he tried to reassure. A sigh just as tired as his own floated through the phone.

"Fine," the blonde agreed, "but only if you promise to explain once you get here!"

Not an hour later, Natsu arrived at Lucy's house. Upon arrival Natsu walked in on a familiar scene he'd grown to envy: a happy, functional family sharing a meal. The boy had come in through the garage assuming the four blondes would not be eating dinner and that Lucy had told her parents he was coming. Embarrassingly enough, the pinkette found that wasn't entirely true.

"Natsu, my boy, how ya doin?" Lucy's father, Jude, greeted warmly, "Come, sit, join us! Your just in time for tacos!"

_Taco Friday? _Natsu thought with a mental snicker. The Heartfilias never were ones to do things conventionally. "I'm fine, Mr. Heartfilia, thank you. I apologize for interrupting your meal, I wouldn't want to impose."

This time Lucy's mother, Layla, spoke up. "Nonsense!" she smiled invitingly, "You know you're always welcome here! Please, take a load off, sit, have a taco!" she said getting up to usher the boy into her home, taking his coat to hang up along the way.

The blind spot provided by the small hallway leading from the mud room to the kitchen prevented Natsu from seeing the place they'd set for him at the table. As soon as Layla took off Natsu's jacket, he politely took it back saying that he'd hang it up, and retreated back into the mud room. As he walked back toward the kitchen he off-handedly asked, "Did Lucy tell you I was coming?"

Entering the kitchen for the first time that night, Natsu's deep olive eyes fell upon the place setting right next to Lucy.

Despite his foul mood and the uncomfortable position he'd assumed he was in, the pinkette smiled.

"She did indeed," Jude began to explain, though somewhat unnecessarily once the teen saw the plate, "We've been expecting you."

"Yeah Natsu," add Lucy's seven year old sister, Michelle, "What took you so long?" The sandy blonde got up from the table and ran to give her sister's friend a hug. The pinkette knelt down and returned the sweet gesture before urging the child back to her seat.

His smile only widened as he heard Lucy's father's and sister's words. And for the first time in a while, Natsu felt at home.

* * *

**You guys are awesome btw. What'd ya think o' chapter 2? Speaking of which, if you guys have any clever names for chapters I'd love to hear 'em. I'm stumped. Please talk to me. I'm still lonely. And thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**I just realized while writing this: this is becoming incredible Harry Potter, but not. Oh well. I like that too. Besides, Harry doesn't fall in love with Ron in the end... Anyway SUPER SORRY about the long wait! But I'm made up for it in length right?**

_**IMPORTANT NOTE: I CHANGED SOMETHING! I GAVE LUCY A LITTLE SISTER! IF THIS IS GOING TO CONFUSE THE LIVING HELL OUT OF YOU, GO BACK AND REREAD THE LAST CHAPTER BECAUSE I UPDATED THAT TOO! AGAIN: IF YOU'RE CONFUSED, REREAD CHAPTER TWO!**_

**Pairings are still Gratsu and the previously mentioned side pairings (Because I'm too lazy to write them out XD) So if you're homophobic or uncomfortable with that, or if you just don't like the pairing, feel free to leave at any time.**

**AnekoNeko:**

**I'm glad you're enjoying this! Especially since you don't usually like AUs! That means I'm doing something right!**

**AznAkatsuki:**

**Yes, Natsu's dad is a bastard, he's supposed to be. I'm glad you laughed at the choke parts, they were meant to be funny which means I succeeded. Lucy's family's awesome right? I'm only sorry I wasn't able to update this chapter sooner :(**

**koichii:**

**Oh My God you're reading this! I'm reading You in My Complicated Life religiously and loving it! Anyways, I'm glad you're liking it even without Gray. I used Midnight as Natsu's dad specifically for the reason of not making Igneel the bad guy. And I agree, he totally fits the bill of an abusive parent. I'm sorry chap 2 almost made you cry! I didn't mean it I swear! But if that almost did it, you might very well cry reading this... Anyway, here's your update! Enjoy!**

**darkhuntressxir:**

**Right?! My mom said the same thing haha!**

**TheseLumps45:**

**I'm glad the bitch slap was funny, a story like this is going to need a lot of comic relief. The Gratsu will come eventually, I promise! Until then, please don't get bored with me! Here's your update!**

**theabridgedkuriboh:**

**I'll tell you what I told darkhuntressxir in that I completely agree with you and so does my mom lol.**

**Guest:**

**Here's your continuation! I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I get it! I don't own Fairy Tail! Seriously, stop reminding me!**

**Here's the update! Hope all of you love it! I'll update as soon as I can!**

* * *

Dinner was nice. Good food, good friends, good fun, right? And it was good fun. And a real treat for Natsu whose dinners generally consisted of cold pizza or TV dinners in his room, trying to tackle homework while his father was out clubbing. Whether that meant strip clubs or baby seals, Natsu didn't know. However, the pale, purple-lipped man usually stumbled in around one smelling of cigarettes, alcohol, and sex, so the pinkette assumed the former. But at dinner with the Heartfilias there was no time for those thoughts. Only good thoughts and happy tales and the occasional bits of dark humor were allowed to dwell at that table, and it was nice. But dinner ended far too quickly for Natsu, and within the hour he and Lucy were sitting in the blonde's room "doing homework". Jude and Layla knew Natsu's not-so-little not-so-secret pertaining to the boy's sexuality. They had no problem and a perk was the ability to spend the night at Lucy's. However, Mr. and Mrs. Heartfilia _didn't_ know about Natsu's father, so Lucy used the excuse of homework to buy the teens some time to talk, while Layla put Lucy's younger sister, Michelle, to sleep, before they would be told to sleep as well. As soon as they entered Lucy's bedroom, said blonde haired, brown eyed, pale best friend began interrogation. Again: dinner ended far too quickly for Natsu. And the door to Lucy's bedroom closed out the atmosphere that expelled the bad thoughts.

"Did he hit you?" The girl asked in a harsh and strictly serious whisper the millisecond the door closed. Natsu sighed. "Shouldn't we at least take _out_ our homework. You know, make it look like we're -"

Lucy interrupted him. "Natsu, this is serious. I know he would, I know he has in the past, and I need to know if he did this ti -"

"No," Natsu said softly, returning the favor and interrupting his friend, "he didn't touch me." Lucy collapsed into a sitting position on her bedroom floor out of sheer relief.

"Well then what happened?" She asked bewildered.

"I can't do climbing," the pinkette told, an almost ironically rueful smile gracing his lips, bitterness painted into his olive eyes.

"That's it?" The blonde couldn't believe what she was hearing. Natsu was a strong person, he wouldn't easily be bent or swayed. There had to be more of a reason for her best friend's retreat than his father refusing to sign a form. "You couldn't deal with your father tonight because he wouldn't sign off on something you're reluctant to do in the first place." It was more of a disbelieving statement than a question. Natsu sighed.

"Pretty much." He then collapse on Lucy's bed.

"So you wanna go that badly, huh," the girl mused, after a moment's pause, disguising her prying considering she knew there had to be more to the situation than that. Natsu lifted his head to glare at his best friend, but only dropped it again when the blonde asked, "What?" She was honestly confused and just as honestly curious. "If it's not about the form and he didn't touch you, then why tonight, can't you deal with him. Natsu groaned his incoherent response into the cheerleader's pillow. A longer silence passed. Lucy was just about to actually drop the subject when the pinkette sat up on her bed and sighed.

"I'm tired," he explained simply. The blonde nodded, urging her best friend to continue, interest refilling her chocolate brown eyes. "I'm tired," he repeated nearly inaudibly, "I'm tired of him, of his paranoia of the government, of the alcohol and substance abuse, of the second hand smoke, of the abuse!" he went on to list his voice growing in volume, though he remained conscious of the unknowing adults somewhere inside the house and kept it low enough to prevent them from hearing. Then he brought his voice back down to just a murmur, though maintaining the fierceness and passion with which he listed the reasons he ran away from home, as he got up to pace around his best friends bedroom and continued his rant. "You know it's gotten to the point where he'll beat me up for no reason!" Natsu hissed, irritation welling up inside him and clearly displaying itself in his deep olive eyes.

"Then why-" Lucy tried to cut in, but Natsu's fuse had blown and the fireworks weren't over yet.

"You know, I thought it was just a phase! People kept telling me when my mom died that this was 'just a phase' that 'Don't worry, Natsu, your dad's just going through a tough time. You're both strong, and I know you're struggling too, but your dad he-he really loved your mom, and this is just going to take some time.'" Natsu quoted an aunt or distant cousin or great uncle in twisted, bottled up rage. "'Be strong,'" Natsu continued, "'Be strong now, I promise he'll pull through, and you'll be a happy, healthy family again.' And at first I believed them!" Natsu paused in word and step to take a breath, but Lucy knew better than to interrupt him, and soon he was pacing anew. "But it's been two and a half years! And it's always time. Time, I need to give him time, just a little more time. And I want to give him time, I want to believe - no. I _know_ he's not a bad person, but when? When will he get better? When will I get my happy family back?!" Natsu was on the verge of tears at this point and all Lucy wanted to do was try to change the subject, but the blonde knew he needed to get this out, so she endured the pain of watching him suffer a little while longer. "I know it sounds selfish, but -" and that little while ended.

"Okay, stop," Lucy said, standing and abruptly halting the boy's monologue as she saw the first silent tear string down his tanned cheek. "Oh, Natsu," she cooed sympathetically. She guided the pinkette to sit back down on her bed then squatted in front of him holding his hands, as if to comfort a child. "Natsu," she assured, "It's not selfish. It's not selfish." She waited for a response, and when none came she hugged him. Once she let go, she squatted back into that child-healing pose and went to talk.

But before she could, Natsu rolled his slightly puffy, olive eyes and complained, "Okay, stand up. And if you're going to sit then at least sit next to me. I'm not your seven year old little sister." Lucy laughed a little then moved to sit beside her friend simultaneously releasing his hands in favor of looping her arm around his shoulder. She pulled him into a quick hug before continuing back into the subject. "If you're this hurt, why do you protect him?" Natsu sighed again, more tears drawing out his jaw, though he _was_ feeling better.

"Well, what do you sugges - Oh, don't go into the whole adoption thing again," he whined once he recognized Lucy's familiar ploy.

"Natsu! It's gotten to the point where the man _beats_ you for _no reason_!" Lucy hissed shooting out of her seat in aggressive defense. The pinkette's face dropped, any evidence of reanimation stripped from his countenance.

"Lucy," he began the most serious he'd been throughout the entire conversation, "I know for a fact that most foster parents foster children for the money the government pays them. I know that those people keep there living standards _just_ barely to capable parenting so they get that paycheck or tax deduction or whatever form of extra money they can obtain. I've seen Hotel for Dogs. I also know that no one's going to want to adopt a kid turning seventeen in two months, like in Meet the Robinsons. And what if the orphanage is abusive such as the one from Annie! My point is, if I'm going to be neglected, or abused or mistreated in general, I'd rather be hurt in an environment I know and a setting I understand."The blonde almost laughed. Her best friend, one of the smartest, most clever, most rational people she knew, was comparing a circumstance he'd never before actually experienced to kids movies. She had to work very hard not to express the sheer hilarity she saw in the entire situation, and it was only looking at the pinkette's straight face and remembering the tone of his voice that gave the girl any sort of control over her reaction.

"Natsu," she began when she could talk with a straight face again, "Those are _all_ movies. Fictional works no less! Who's to say any of the negative is going to happen in real life? Besides, each one of those had happy endings," she pointed out honestly. But Natsu was prepared for all of it.

"They _are_ all movies, but they're my only point of reference. And all the same, who's to say the happy endings aren't what's fake?" Lucy bit back her immediately competitive nature to think through what her best friend had just said and formulate a clever response only to find she had no leg left to stand on. Fortunately for her, Natsu had a plan he was more than ready to ignore her blank over. "I've got two months until I turn seventeen, technically I could do so now, but then even more so, I could apply for emancipation." The boys olive eyes were so full of hope, he'd been formulating this plot for the past six months and it was sure fire. But sometimes it was the job of the best friend it nitpick. That way plans could be absolutely perfected. And Lucy reminded herself of that as she proceeded to burst Natsu's titanium bubble.

"Then what?" She asked reluctantly, as she tried to get her friend to see the bigger picture, "The court has to see your dad as an unfit parent which shouldn't be too hard, but you have to either be adopted or legally married from there. Even if the court _does_ appeal to your emancipation request, where will you go from there?" As Lucy expected, the pinkette hadn't thought of that. The evidence was clearly written on his face. The girl finally decided to sit down next to her best friend, and, after a moments pause for thought, continued to guide her best friend. "If you were thinking about coming to live here, I'm more than sure there's no problem with that, but we'd have to end up legally adopting you anyway, so why not just go that route in the first place?"

"I couldn't ask that of your family. They already have both a sixteen year old and seven year old daughter. We don't need to throw a horny seventeen year old boy into the mix." Natsu informed.

"A _gay_ horny, seventeen year old, if I'm following your thought process correctly." Lucy reminded him mid-thought. The pinkette rolled his eyes at the interruption, and the thought in general. "Well, actually you're only sixteen. So it would be a gay, horny _sixteen_ year old -"

"Lucy!" Natsu snapped, cutting off her trivial rant. Said blonde quietly apologized and he continued slightly irritably, "Besides, while I do have a job now to pay for myself, I don't want to put your parents through the stress of trying to send two kids for an education I can't afford on my own." Lucy stared silently and Natsu knew he'd made his point. He laughed ruefully once he remembered what had started this verbal war over his future.

"What?" the girl asked curiously.

"I still can't climb." Natsu said, sitting on the floor. Lucy flopped back on her lights pink, double bed, laughing lightly herself and noticing inconsequentially that at some point she and her friend had traded positions in the room.

"Do you know of _any_ sort of document in existence that has your father's signature?" Lucy mused knowing full well about Midnight's attitude toward legal documentation. He hadn't paid a single bill in the last two years. He hated the government and was desperate to escape its radar. Ever since Natsu's mother died, Midnight trusted no one.

"There might be an un-mailed bill or two from before my mom died lying around." The boy offered.

"Then forge it. No one's seen your dad's signature in years, there's no way they can say it doesn't look like it. And if you do get caught, I'll take the fall for putting you up to it." Natsu had no problem with Lucy's plan, he'd just need to find a reference point.

"Cool by me," he replied, "Wanna come over tomorrow and help me find something?" Lucy had Sunday school on Sundays, but lately the Baptist views were really pissing her off. The blonde was slowly losing her faith, and surprisingly enough, it seemed that her parents didn't really mind. She was sure she'd be able to skip if she told them it was to help Natsu.

The blonde shrugged her reply and said simply, "Sure."

There was a long span on silence as both friends relaxed from their emotional highs. Eventually, the teenagers actually started homework, and in due time, Jude came throwing a sleeping bag and pillow at Natsu's head, laughing at the teen's mockingly offended reaction, and lovingly telling the two to get some sleep. Natsu sighed to himself once more once the man left, longing for that nostalgic feel of family, of love, and that night he vowed to in some way or another get it back.

* * *

**So sorry for the long wait! I've been working diligently because I'm as into this story as you all, but school _is_ my first priority and I won't guarantee my update speed will get better. Regardless, I'm so grateful for those of you who're sticking with me! Next chap you'll _finally_ get to see Gray! But I'm not telling how much! You'll just have to read and find out! Until then I love you all!**

**-IvoryQueen**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi guys! Back again! As sad as it is, I think this is the fastest I've ever uploaded a story I hadn't already finished. But I'm really psyched about this and I love all your feedback! I'm so glad I have you reviewers out there. It makes my feel loved ****_and_**** it keeps me on track. You'll read this again in the second author's note if you read the author's notes, which I see a lot of you do, I'm going to really try and work on my posting! I'm striving for weekly but that's unrealistically unlikely so I'm really going to try for bi-weekly, in other words (and as you'll re-read later) it I don't have a new chapter up by the end of three weeks, yell at me. And referring back to those who read the author's notes, here it is! The moment you've all been waiting for! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! It is my greatest pleasure to present to you Gray Fullbuster! But first, reviewer's corner!**

**theabridgedkuriboh:**

**Yes Natsu's home life sucks, but you're right, he is getting living support from Lucy and family which is totally awesome.**

**lightmaster:**

**I'm really glad you're loving it. Don't cry, the mighty and awesome Gray is here now! XD Unfortunately Natsu will have to put up with Midnight for some time longer, but not forever, and I'm glad you thought it was a good idea. **

**AznAkatsuki:**

**Yeah, Lucy is totally awesome, but if you think Natsu is going through hell now, just you wait. I plan to desytroy and recreate Natsu ****_at least _****seven times before the end of this. 3:) As far as Gray goes... I've decided not to write him in this chapter, yeah, Im going to torture you personally for the next like six chapters or so... Haha totally just kidding, but he doesn't have the most major roll yet. Thanks for the luck with school, when I finish posting this, I'm getting straight to my research paper, I'm so far behind at this point that I have seven to ten pages to write tonight! yeah... I really wish I could burn that paper.**

**darkhuntressxir:**

**I'm getting a lot of Lucy compliments! I'm really glad she plays the roll she does. I also think she's an amazing character, and I'm havig so much fun writing her. I'm sorry the start of chapter three made you sad, but hopefully this chapter will change that, this is a little comic relief chapter.**

**TheseLumps45:**

**Here! Here is your update! And here you will first meet Gray Fullbuster!**

**TitaniaScarletKnight:**

**While that is an interesting and wonderful idea, Midnight is most definitely not gay. Read chapter three so you can read this!**

**Warnings: Shounen-ai is upon us (but very, ****_very_**** light)! If you don't like LoLu, leave now because this chapter is surprisingly heavy them. Slight language. Oh! And very possible terminological confusion. This starts rock climbing and I fear I didn't really express all the terms that well so any questions on that, you can review to me or private message me.**

**Pairings: Gratsu, LoLu**

**Disclaimer: One day, I swear I will ow- oh who am I kidding, I'll never own Fairy Tail.**

**And now, without further ado, Chapter four!**

* * *

Up. Then down. Then up again. Then to Lucy.

"What the hell is this," the pinkette asked in sheer bewilderment.

The blonde girl just laughed lightly, patted him on the shoulder, then guided him to the check in desk.

"What size shoe do you wear?" The tan teen shot her another questioning look.

"Eleven, why," he asked cautiously. The girl ignored his confusion in favor of leaning over the counter and saying to one of the employees, "ten and a half men's, please."

"You guys with Magnolia High?"

"Indeed."

"Cool. And for you," the employee asked deducing the first climbing shoe order was for the pink haired teen behind the attractive blonde.

"Eight, please," the girl chirped pleasantly. Now Natsu was really confused. Lucy grinned at his bewildered expression and finally decided to fill him in. "Climbing shoes are going to be a lot more comfortable to climb in than to walk in. They need to hug your feet so you can more easily grip the wall," she explained while the employee grabbed the two pairs of shoes. Lucy thanked the man and handed Natsu his pair before beginning to guide him upstairs. However, before they even reached the staircase, Natsu stopped, awestruck by the same thing he was initially - only this time he saw more of it.

"God! Lucy tell me we're not doing that!" The pinkette pleaded, turning to his more knowledgeable friend, a look of shocked horror etched into his tan face. The blonde giggled a little at her friends exaggerated fear.

"Do worry," she assured nonetheless, "I don't even think Gray could conquer a fifty foot wall yet." But she paused to really consider that. "Actually, with a belayer he really trusted maybe," she pondered, "It's still lead climbing, so if he could do it, it would present him with a real challenge." While this could have all been very useful information to the sixteen year old boy, at that point, Lucy was as good as talking to herself. Well, that is, until her boyfriend walked over.

"Oh I'm sure he could do it," the strawberry blonde boy said adjusting his glasses followed by his stance to join the two in gazing admiringly at the fifty foot rock wall littered in rough, brightly colored hunks of plastic of all shapes and sizes. "With me belaying him, Gray could totally hit the top." The teen basked in his own mock pride, knowing the true struggle of climbing a wall like that. He also knew that he and his best friend _could_ complete it, but it would take a _lot_ of training, especially considering the climber would have to set the rope themselves as they scaled the wall to the top, and a hook on which to latch the rope only appeared every five feet or so. After a short silence, the spectacled teen turned to his girlfriend and lightly nudged her, teasing, "Bet you couldn't though."

He got an immediate response from the other blonde who snapped her head in his direction and squeaked defiantly, "I could too!" She laughed and started pushing her lover. "I could totally lead climb with the right belayer!" The seventeen year old laughed along and continued to make fun of his girlfriend until someone called his name.

"Loke! Stop making out with Lucy! Mr. Sagittarius is going to start instruction in a minute," the raven haired boy informed from over the railing on the upper level of the building. Loke rolled his hazel eyes, but turned to Lucy none the less.

"Come on, Luce. You heard the man."

"'Kay, just let me snap Natsu out of his trance," she girl teased urging her boyfriend to go on without her. Loke did as he was told and left the girl with her friend. "Alright Natsu," she called waving a hand in the boy's face. Immediately the boy snapped out of his reverie and then at Lucy.

"I heard him! And I was not in a trance!" Natsu heatedly denied.

Lucy just giggled. "Well then why were you just staring at the wall?" she challenged. The pinkette stumbled to answer, but she just giggled some more and guided her friend upstairs.

In seconds, the pair was at the top of the stairs and scurrying to take a seat on the large, thick, blue mat that made the base of an alcove of twenty foot ropes climbing, rock walls, just as the tall, lanky, track and field coach, Mr. Sagittarius was about to give instruction.

"Alright!" the usually timid track and field coach boomed with excitement, "Today, we're going to do what we usually do in climbing: we're going to split you guys up into five groups of ten and stick you with a teacher. Then you guys are going to head to your stations for like twenty minutes before we switch. But before we split you guys up . . . " the track teacher went on to ask a climbing trivia question of the week and introduce the new climbers of the group before splitting the students into the individual teams of ten. But, at least not until Lucy was called into a different group than he was, Natsu wasn't paying attention. In her haste, Lucy had guided Natsu to sit with her boyfriend, and next to Loke sat Gray.

Natsu was again awestruck. He'd heard the man's deep, alluring voice when he called for Loke earlier, but due to the fear induced trance he'd never admit he was in, he hadn't seen his face. Now, however, he was sitting right next to the pale boy, and he couldn't get enough. The way his messy raven hair fell gracefully in his face, the way his soft lips formed a straight line, completely serious, the way his deep navy blue eyes reflected the same intense absorption, a calm passion for the sport in which he would soon be participating, and Natsu found himself craving him. He yearned to see Gray's smile, hear his laugh, and he was only assuming this person even _was_ Gray!

This was all until Lucy was teamed with Loke, Erza, Jellal, Lyla, and Mystogan - the only people Natsu even remotely knew - and Natsu was paired with Gray.

"Hey! Pinky!" Gray called snapping in Natsu's face. Natsu was once again snapped out of his reverie. At once he batted the raven head's hand away.

"What is with people and sticking their hands in my face today?" the pinkette hissed. The raven merely rolled those magnetic navy eyes.

"You were spacing out. Lucy told me to look after you seeing as she was placed in another group. Now come on. Our group is already at our first station." Gray lent Natsu a hand up which Natsu pridefully rejected. The raven just rolled his eyes again. "So. Is it true you're afraid of heights?" Gray teased Natsu.

"Yes," the latter admitted openly. Gray just chuckled.

"Don't worry," he reassured, ruffling the slightly smaller boy's hair, "Like I said earlier: I got your back."

Natsu's face turned the color of his recently ruffled, salmon pink hair. Luckily for him, however, Gray had walked begun to walk ahead.

The rest of the afternoon proceeded in shear embarrassment for the pink-haired teen. He'd managed to fall off of two walls, nearly rolling his ankle out of place on one of them, and get stuck on a wall after going up too high for himself. All in front of the guy he clearly had a crush on. By the end of the day, Natsu was limping onto the bus ready to hang himself. Though Gray had invited him to be "tutored" on Sundays, the pinkette didn't take that as well intended as it was meant to be. Up side to all this: at least the place had good music. And Natsu got to spend an afternoon away from his dad.

* * *

**Phew! I'm done! This chapter! Huh -_- Anyway, I'm going to make an effort to post more regularly! I'm going to strive for weekly! Which is never going to happen so I'll post bi-weekly! In other words, if I don't have a new chapter up at the end of three weeks, yell at me. Speaking of motivating me to get this done, what did you think of my Gray chapter?! Huh, huh, anybody, anybody at all? Please talk to me. I'm lonely. Was he funny, a jackass, incredibly OOC? I know he was totally OOC but this is an AU. Anyways, psyched about feedback. Again please talk to me! Until next chapter! I'm counting on you guys! Later!**

**-IvoryQueen**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well, it's been a month... WHY IS NO ONE YELLING AT ME! I love writing, I really do, but honestly I love hearing from you all more! I need you guys to keep me on top of this! *takes deep breath* Anyways, now that I'm done ranting, here is your fifth chapter. Hopefully this'll put me past 6,000 words, it's been a long time but I wrote you guys a long, two-scene piece. However, unless you completely disregard the author's notes, you don't get to read it yet. Because first I must do, The Reviewers' Corner!**

**theabridgedkuriboh:**

**Yes, Gray has arrived, and Natsu gets flustered! I'm in the same boat as both of you. I hate heights, but I have to disagree with the 'that's life can't change it' because I've gotten a lot better at heights ****_because_**** I joined my school's rock climbing team. It's surprising how much fun I'm having with it and it feels so great to conquer a fear. You should try it, it might be more help than you'd think. Here's your chapter five, and there's much more where that came from so be prepared for six, hopefully I'll have that done faster. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**teacupcococake:**

**That's addressed in this chapter so you'll just have to read and find out.**

**AnekoNeko25:**

**Thank you. I don't think as can disagree with you as much as I thought I could. However, in this chapter, Gray definitely gets OOC, and I'm glad Natsu's cute, he's supposed to be. The Australian rappelling thing sounds really cool, but I think I'll stick to what I know. I'm doing bouldering, which has become my favorite, and ropes climbing with my school and it'll just be easier for me to capture if I've done it first hand. So bouldering and ropes are what they'll be doing at Edolas. It still sounds cool... Glad you loved the chapter, hope you love this one too.**

**darkhuntressxir:**

**I'm glad you liked it. I'm also glad Natsu wasn't tortured... Though I can't entirely guarantee he won't be for this chapter.**

**Disclaimer time!**

**IvoryQueen: I'm too lazy to disclaim things! Natsu, you do it!**

**Natsu: Don't tell me what to do! You don't own me or any of Fairy Tail for that matter! Hiro Mashima does! And I just did the disclaimer. . .**

**IvoryQueen: Thank you, Natsu.**

**Warnings: Shounen-ai and mental and emotional breakdowns.**

**Now! On with the chapter!**

* * *

Natsu sat in a corner of the school's front lobby, homework spread out in a restrictive semi-circle that locked the boy to the wall. He'd zoned in on the task, blocking out the world even without music, opting to stop partaking in the latter action lest his eardrums blow out. He'd listened to music at ear numbing volumes for the full duration of the thirty minute bus ride back to school. He figured his ears had had enough torture.

"Hey," but apparently the universe disagreed, because just as Natsu got to the hardest chunk of his AP Calculus homework, the very object of his affection and torture from the afternoon walked over and sat down on the floor in front of the boy. "So you listen to Rise Against?" the older teen inquired opting to leave off the 'way too loud' part. Unknown to Natsu, this was actually the second time the raven had been within a three foot vicinity of the pinkette. Gray had also taken it upon himself to try and comfort the pink haired teen on the way back to school by sitting next to him for the bus ride. He'd listened to _Prayer of the Refugee_ on loop for half an hour.

"Only when I'm pissed," the sixteen year old murmured in response, trying to be completely engulfed in his math homework.

"They're good. Though my favorite song is _The Good Left Undone_ as opposed to _Prayer of the Refugee_." The raven was trying to make small talk that he could tell the pinkette was not only not interested in, but didn't really have time for. In all honesty, he wanted the pinkette's attention.

"That's cool," he again only murmured, "Hey listen," he began, starting to look up from his homework, "I'd love to talk but maybe . . . " his voice completely trailed off and he stared for a moment in silence once he saw who was talking to him. For the second time that afternoon, Natsu's face turned the color of his salmon pink hair, then his head snapped quickly back to his paper as he started scribbling out answers madly and stuttering out the rest of his sentence, "L-like I was saying! I-I'd love to chat b-b-but homework a-and dad a-and home's loud so school's concentration's better here! A-a-and . . ." Natsu was interrupted by the other boy's howling laughter. His head snapped up again.

"I-I just . . . You're . . . Too cute . . . You-you know that?!" Gray tried to explain between fits of laughter. Natsu's blush darkened to the color of his father's ruby eyes as he looked back down at his paper again. When the older boy finally calmed down he explained himself. "I just wanted to properly introduce myself since I neglected to earlier. I'm Gray Fullbuster." Gray extended a hand over Natsu's paper forcing the boy to look up again, but he didn't return the favor.

Instead, Natsu simply stated, "So you _are_ Gray. Nice to meet you."  
Gray smirked, a little confused at Natsu's first response remark.

"What do you mean, so I am Gray," the raven inquired curiously. The pinkette quickly began to stutter again.

"I-it's nothing! I'm Loke's best friend! I-I mean Loke's my boyfriend! I mean! No! I mean Lucy's boyfriend is Loke! Yeah! A-and Lucy my boy-I-I mean best friend! Yeah! Best friend. Lucy's my . . . " He trailed off feeling like he'd just run a marathon.

Gray began laughing again, only this time not as hard, and when he was done he grabbed the pinkette's chin and leaned close to his ear whispering, "Don't strain yourself," before getting up and walking back to his own homework set up. Though reluctant to admit it, Natsu hated to watch the raven go.

"W-wait!" Natsu called to the older boy's retreating form. The raven smirked victoriously as he stopped in his tracks. Then he fixed his expression to a mildly amused smile as he spun around to face his new favorite toy. "I-I'm Natsu," the boy finally introduced.

Gray bowed low and began with a smirk that the other couldn't see, "It's a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance," then he looked up revealing his smirk to the younger teen and completed his thought seductively, "Natsu."

As the evening progressed, Natsu found it increasingly hard to focus on homework, until eventually Gray left. But even after the raven's departure, the pinkette felt the effects of his presence. When Midnight finally showed up at the school, Natsu was a blushing bride.

The sunburnt orange Ford Pinto pulled around the front of the school and the passenger window rolled down to reveal a pale man wearing a light blue button up shirt, a blazer the same deep navy of Gray's eyes, which only caused the boy to blush more, and a pair of tan khakis. There was no lipstick of any color on Midnight's lips, and his hair was clean and brushed back into a tight, little, black and white ponytail. Natsu did a take for a minute as his dad flashed the brightest, warmest smile he'd seen in the past few months. Then it hit him. This was another bout of pure break down. Just like the one a few months ago.

"Hey, Kiddo!" Midnight greeted pleasantly, inviting his son into the car. Natsu sighed solemnly to himself. Opening the trunk, he set down his school bags and got in the passenger's seat. "Sorry I'm so late," Midnight apologized as he pulled away from the school, "I had a job interview. You're mom was nagging me to stop being lazy," the man chuckled to himself sheepishly. Natsu's suspicion was confirmed. Midnight had lost it.

"So how is Mom," Natsu smiled weakly, trying to go along with his father's breakdown without breaking down in tears himself. "I feel like I haven't seen her in ages." Midnight sighed animatedly.

"I know! God, between her nocturnal sleeping pattern, night shifts at the hospital, and her medical degree, I feel the same way."

Natsu almost lost it right there. His mother had been pre-med when he was born, and had to skip directly to doctor's assistant because she hadn't been able to afford a baby and the rest of her medical degree. When Natsu turned six, she'd started taking night shifts at the Magnolia Medical Center as a nurse. She'd sleep in the day and it was rare that she'd get a holiday. About four years ago, Natsu's mom had decided she'd saved up enough money to go back to school for her full Ph.D. but this schedule made it even harder to spend time with her.

"Fortunately, we've only got a few more months until all these crazy schedules and time slots end, am I right?" Midnight reminded lightly when Natsu didn't respond. The pinkette bit his bottom lip to keep from crying. This year, she would've graduated. After a few minutes of composure, the pink-haired junior decided to answer his father.

"Right," he tried not to choke.

Midnight glanced over at his son. "What's wrong, Kiddo?"

"Nothing, Dad. Keep your eyes on the road," Natsu mumbled trying to act as normal as he could in a situation he could no longer remember whose origin could still bring him to tears. Luckily, the pinkette was successful in changing the subject.

"So," Midnight began to make small talk after a brief silence, "How was your first day of climbing?" Immediately thoughts of a certain raven haired senior flooded into Natsu's mind. His face turned bright red once again, and when Midnight glanced expectantly at his son, the teen couldn't hide it.

"Terrible! I hated every second of it!" the pinkette snapped softly, pouting to himself. Midnight grinned playfully.

"I'm not so sure! The blush on your face certainly says otherwise!" the man teased kindly.

"Shut up," Natsu grumbled quickly and quietly. Midnight just laughed at his son before pressing on.

"So? Who's the lucky guy?"

"Nobody!" Natsu snapped, but this time much louder and clearly irritated. Midnight fell silent for the rest of the ride home. When they arrived at the house, Natsu stormed in through the garage. Midnight rushed in after the broken teen.

"Natsu!" the man called after his son, "Natsu! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit a nerve!" he waited for a response. When he didn't get one, he kicked off his copper brown, leather loafers, and ran up to his sons room calling more apologies, "Natsu! It's okay! You don't have to tell me his name. In fact I'll drop the subject altogether!" Natsu heard his father's pleas and suggestions. He hated being like this. He hated acting like a teenage girl on her period, but this made the most sense in avoiding the topic. There was no way in Hell the pinkette was about to give away Gray's name to a man who could snap back to his self-made, Hellish reality at any minute. It was bad enough he was falling for the eighteen year old, and if Gray found out, Natsu was sure, his stress level would sky rocket, but if the real Midnight as of the past two years was also after him for any reason Natsu would never forgive himself. So the pinkette sat in his room and sulked, until his dad reached his room. "Look, Kiddo," the black and white haired man comforted through the closed bedroom door, "If you don't wanna talk about it, we won't talk about it." The man waited for a response. When none came, he made up his mind. "Tell ya what," he began to propose, still giving his son the privacy of keeping the door closed, "you're an A+ student, one day of missed homework won't kill you. Why don't we hang out, just like old times! We don't do enough together anymore, I say we have a father-son bonding day! Let go bowling!" Midnight suggested, actually getting pretty excited.

The entire time Natsu's father spoke, the boy listened. Every word spoken reminded him of his father, the man that loved him and his mother, the one that had been killed when the pinkette's mother passed, and replaced by the shell of a man the teen feared his father could re-become at any second. With every sincere apology for prying, with every strong effort at comfort, with every elated attempt to take the boy's mind off of the situation and spend time with the teen, Natsu cried. By the time Midnight had finished his suggestions, as much as Natsu _loathed_ to admit it, he'd broken down twice.

After a few minutes of gathering himself and checking his emotions, the junior opened his bedroom door, and with a sincere smile responded, "Thanks," and he gave his father a long-needed hug. It killed Natsu to see his father this way, honestly believing his mother was still living, but at least he wasn't being bullied bot physically and emotionally by someone who actually used to act like this. Even if it wasn't real, at least temporarily, Natsu got his father back.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Chapter six will be up faster, hopefully. Good news is I'm done my research paper so now I should be updating much faster now! But I still need you guys to keep me on track! So COMMENT!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N 1:**

**So I wrote this first for Gray, and then for Ultear. It's in honor of her sacrifice now, and I think I did well to paint her as amazing. And I know it's been forever, but I don't have an excuse other than writer's block. I still haven't really overcome it, so let's see how this chapter turns out. Oh! i almost forgot! I'm lazy so I'm not going to go back and change this but this is where _YOU NEED TO READ THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE!_ Gray, though Natsu didn't realize it, left school _after_ Natsu. He drove himself home after he was sure Natsu had a ride. Now for chapter six.**

**But first! Reviewer's corner!**

**teacupcococake:**

**Well, Midnight's already gone mental and who knows what'll happen to Natsu. Guess, you'll have to read and find out ;)**

**darkhuntressxir:**

**Yeah. I wish Midnight could just get better altogether, but that doesn't look probable. Well. Let's just wait and find out.**

**PhoenixShadow:**

**Well I won't deny that Gray's a smooth talker, but let's see how smooth he is in every other area. As for Natsu, if he doesn't notice yet what Gray's up to, then he's in for a major wake up call. Thanks for your congratulations, and here's your next chapter.**

**extremebookworm:**

**Unconventionally, I'm going to start from the end of your review and work my way back because I want to thank you for yelling at me to get my act together. I was more motivated to write this chapter because of it. Here's your Gray chapter! i even wrote it from his perspective(v)! And I made Midnight Natsu's dad because I was absolutely _not_ making Igneel the bad guy.**

**tydolt99:**

**Thank you for your encouraging yelling! I'm glad to know that my story continues to spark interest! Here's your more GraTsu. Or at least more Gray.**

**Sit tight a little longer because disclaimer and stuff.**

**Warning: In case you didn't notice, this is SHOUNEN-AI! GraTsu love, so either don't hate or leave quietly.**

**Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima is the genius! Not me :(**

* * *

"Mom!" Gray called, dropping his climbing gear at the front door and pulling off his winter coat, "I'm home! I'm gonna go take a cold shower, then I'll start homework! Tell me when dinner's ready!" He set his car keys in the glass bowl by the door, then proceeded to head up to his room. That was until he received a response.

"Okay!" A female voice called back. But it wasn't his mother's. Gray froze mid-step and peeked cautiously over the banister and into the kitchen. His mother never responded to his call when Gray came home from school, and the girl's voice from the kitchen was just slightly higher than his mother's. As the kitchen came clearly into Gray's view, he saw a girl his mother's hight but with long, flowing raven hair, as opposed to Gray's mother's bob cut, standing by the stove. The girl didn't turn around, but the sight of her back was all the proof Gray needed to tell exactly who it was. A shocked smile cracked across Gray's face, and his school bags dropped listlessly to the stairs. As his books began to roll lazily down the stairs, Gray shoot up and raced them, winning easily. He grabbed the edge of the banister and swung himself in the direction of the kitchen, launching himself at the slightly shorter girl, arms wide.

"Jesus, Gray! I'm at a stove! You could burn both of us! Calm down!" the girl commented breathlessly, but she wasn't angry, and Gray most definitely wasn't scared of a stove. He spun the girl around in is arms and gave her a proper bear hug. The girl laughed and hugged back, but not with nearly as much force. "God, Gray. You act like I was never coming back." Gray eased back on the hug and looked the girl in the eyes.

"Ultear," the raven haired boy whispered before planting a peck on her cheek and giving her another huge hug. The girl, more like a young woman, patted the slightly taller boy on the back and blinked a few times in surprise. Honestly, she'd only been gone for a few months.

"Gray!" a smaller, more high pitched, but distinctly male voice called from the kitchen table. Gray let go of Ultear and turned to face the direction of the voice. "Let go of her! Can't you see she can't breathe? And besides! If you two keep rough housing near the stove, you're gonna burn the house down, and then Mom'll blame it all on me!" The child at the table pouted, his slanted onyx eyes glaring at his older siblings. Figures a seven year old would take a few simple observations and turn them into over-grown worries blown way out of proportion. Gray smirked at his younger brother.

"You're only saying that because you got the change to greet her already," he teased and made his way around the bar in the kitchen to "attack" his brother with tickles. The smaller boy laughed until he was crying and begging for mercy, but Gray tickled relentlessly until Ultear stepped it.

"That's enough, Gray," she warned, but pleasantly, "Both you and Lyon have home work. Besides, didn't you say that you were going to take a shower before dinner? You smell like sweat and chalk. Go. I said I'd call you for dinner and I will. Until then, leave your brother alone." Gray let up on the smaller boy and went to do as he was told, ruffling the seven year old's snowy hair and leaving him with the simple word 'Focus' before going off to shower.

Dinner was amazing. The whole family was there for the first time in months, and Ultear made a great meal. But Gray couldn't enjoy any of it.

"What's on your mind, Gray? You look like something's bothering you," prodded Mest Fullbuster.

"Nothing's really bothering me . . ." Gray answered his father allowing his words to hang in the air, "but I can't seem to this guy out of my head," he murmured just loud enough for the table to hear, effectively outing himself. Everything at the table went still, and Gray looked up from the food he was nudging at with his fork. "What?" he asked, truly confused about what he might have said. Gray's mom, Ur, looked at her son, dumbfounded.

"Gray," she approached with cautious shock, "Is there something you want to tell us?" Gray looked at his mother as if she'd grown a second head before horrified realization spread across his face.

"Shit," Gray whispered covering his face with his hand and dripping his head down. Then he wiped his hand across his face in tired irritation and brought his chin to rest in his palm. "Crap," he reiterated louder, so that his family could hear, "Okay, I guess we're doing this now then." There was a pause of anxiety as Gray gathered his thoughts. This was big news after all, even though the eighteen year old presenting it would normally not treated it as such. "Mom, Dad, Ultear," Gray broached carefully, purposely leaving out Lyon because if he understood what was going on, the public school system had gone to shit, "I'm gay," and he immediately started defending himself, "If anyone has a problem with that, I'll move out tomorrow." There was another anxious pause, through this one more awkward than the first. Everyone at the table was waiting for Mest to respond. He was the father and the "head" of the house. He should have the first say. Even Ultear waited patiently for her father's reaction. She had something to say on the matter and wore the whimsical smirk that said she wasn't afraid to say it. However, she knew it wasn't her place to break the silence. It was a long moment before Mest spoke. As a matter of fact it was one of the longest moments of Gray's life. And in the pregnant and awkward pause, Gray took his time to observe the house. He looked across the kitchen table to see the Popsicle-stick cross hanging above the back door, covered in glitter glue and stickers and paint. He saw the "God is Love" magnets on the fridge holding up the church events schedules, and the Jesus dedicated preschool drawings, made by himself and his siblings, about creation and life and the Old Testament and Christmas. He even directed his gaze to his own chest, observing the silver cross pendent he'd received as a birthday gift ten or so years ago. He never took it off. These simple symbols, these little actions, made him very nervous of his family's reaction. Even if he looked collect on the outside, even if he usually approached this topic with nonchalance and neutrality, he was scared of this rejection, scared to find that maybe his parents never really loved him to begin with. Finally Mest spoke.

"So," he paused, even after the torturously awkward pause, and Gray waited, "Who's this boy?"

Gary's eyes widened, and his head snapped up from his chest. It was his turn to be surprised as he released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Ultear's smirk twisted into a devious grin, and her words sauntered across the table placing her two cents greedily in Gray's hand.

"Yes, Gray. Tell us all the juicy details."

Gray chuckled in relief to himself as he began to introduce his family to Natsu.

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**So I know it's short, but Gray, and writers block! I think I did well despite myself, and I updated! So give me that much and please don't kill me! Anyway! R and R! Your opinions are my food, so please don't let me starve!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So I know it's been a long time, but before anyone kills me, this is a LONG chapter, chuck full of GraTsu awkwardness and maybe some lovely surprises? Well, I guess you'll just have to read and find out. Speaking of reading ****_and_****, I'd like to take this moment to remind everyone to read ****_and_**** review. And on the subject of reviews, I say it's about time to get to the reviewer's corner!**

**Guest (1):**

**I'm glad you like the story, but this chapter's longer I promise! The chapter has some GraTsu awkwardness but I'm trying not to rush them, lest the story feel undeveloped. Thanks for the feedback on the Midnight and Natsu scenario. I will get back to them, but I want to focus on happy for a while. Here's your update. Enjoy!**

**darkhuntressxir:**

**You have no idea.**

**LinkinParkTheKillersFan:**

**I love when my work reaches people who wouldn't otherwise like what I write. I presents me with a challenge, so thank you. And you're absolutely right. Inner fangirls must be fed. Here's your next chapter! So eat up!**

**theabridgedkuriboh:**

**Yeah. Wait and see.**

**extremebookworm:**

**Does it seem unrealistic? I really hope it doesn't seem unrealistic. Here's more. Please don't starve :(**

**Guest (2):**

**I'm glad you like the Gray action, but it might be a little while before I get back to Midnight. I want to keep it happy for as long as possible!**

**Guest (3):**

**Here's the next part.**

**Skydancing Dragon:**

**Thank you for the 1,000,016 points and the A! I hope you like the chapter!**

**And now . . . Disclaims and stuff!**

**Warning: Homosexuality, slight heavy moments, slight language.**

**Disclaimer: I'm a high school student. In this day and age high school students don't own anything but a phone and their ideas.**

**Now! You may read.**

* * *

_"He sounds like a very nice boy," Ur commented comfortingly once her son was finished describing the boy that had captured his attention._

_"He is. He's really sweet and he's kinda innocent. It's really cute," Gray described somewhat spacily._

_"I feel like I know him personally and I haven't even _met _him," Ultear poked, eager to meet the pink haired cutie with a fiery attitude. Mest went to mockingly 'disapprove' of this Natsu 'character' because someone with such outlandish hair color must be in some sort of gang, but Lyon, who'd been surprisingly quiet throughout the whole endeavor, finally found something to say._

_"So Gray likes boys? Isn't that against God?" This was the part of the meal, or rather the discussion, that Gray was dreading. In such a religious, Christian household, where is there room for a biological sinner? What's God's opinion on homosexuality? And more importantly, how do the people Gray loves and values interpret this opinion?_

_Mest spoke, placing a hand on his youngest son's head and ruffling his hair, trying to dissolve the weight of this point._

_"Well, Lyon," Mest began, and again Gray found himself holding his breath, "If God made Gray like boys, why would Gray liking boys go against God? Besides, God doesn't make mistakes. Gray was always supposed to like boys, just like Ultear was alway supposed to like boys, and you were always supposed to like girls. We just didn't realize it."_

_Lyon blushed at his father's explanation, thinking about the new girl in his class with pretty blue hair and shy eyes. It didn't escape Mest's notice, but tonight was about Gray. He continued. "If Gray likes boys, who're we to tell God He's wrong?"_

_A tear slid silently down Gray's face. It outlined his slightly smiling lips and ran down his chin before finally falling onto the cleaned porcelain plate below him. It was a single salty drop, and no more fell, but somehow every fear or doubt or sadness shattered with that drop on that plate and exploded into the happiness and security and love he consumed so greedily from his family. The softest most sincere of 'Thank you's slipped through Gray's slightly smiling lips with that tear, and Gray knew he was welcome at this home._

That was three weeks ago. And now Gray was hopping into his sleek black 2009 Toyota Camry with a guest in the passenger's seat. A guest with insistently _salmon_ hair.

Things for Natsu seemed to be looking up. Midnight was, unfortunately, back to his grimy self, and due to time constraints, Natsu hadn't gotten to spend any time with the man he once knew as his father, but there were bright sides to everything. That thing in particular had the benefit of relieving Natsu of the pain of watching Midnight lose it. But better things were happening to the pinkette than that. He was reaching new heights in more ways than one. For one thing, Natsu was much closer to overcoming his fear of heights with much help from Gray, which brings us to his next big 'achievement'. Gray. Natsu had finally reached a level of confidence with the raven to where he called the boy 'friend'.

Gray pulled the used car out of the school's student parking lot. However, leaving the school, he turned left, verses the right hand turn he'd taken the past two Tuesday nights in a row to reach his junior friend's house.

"Where are we going?" Natsu asked looking alarmedly in the opposite direction of which the high schoolers were currently traveling.

"Home," was the curt reply of the raven haired senior driving the car, as he focused on the road ahead and ignored the slight worry on the pinkette's face.

"No," the pinkette warned with growing panic, "Home is that way," and he jabbed a tanned thumb behind him, settling back in the passenger's seat. Gray spared a glance to the fidgety passenger.

"Correction. _Your_ home is that way," the eighteen year old stated matter-of-factly. Natsu played nervously with his seat belt. "What's wrong?" Gray finally inquired, but he interjected some thought process before the sixteen year old could answer. "Lucy told Loke and I in Art that, since, like, last Thursday, you've been spending nights at her house because of your dad. I figured kidnapping you for an evening wouldn't be preposterous." Natsu winced to find out that Gray knew something of the evils that were his dad.

"Well, yeah, but he has to at least _think_ I'm home. Otherwise, he's going to kill me for being out all night without permission." This puzzled Gray.

"Wouldn't he figure out you were out all night when he went to drive you to school the next morning?"

"Let's just say it's easier to walk four miles at seven in the morning than it is at seven at night." Gray's jaw went slack.

"He makes you _walk_ to school in the morning!" Natsu winced again at Gray's booming response, then quickly jumped to his father's defense.

"He doesn't make me do anything! I just like to avoid depending on him as much as possible." Natsu pleaded with Gray.

"So, wait. What's so off about your dad that you keep trying to escape him?" Gray asked innocently when he heard Natsu's begging tone, "I mean, I saw him a couple weeks ago when he came to pick you up. He seems like a normal, if not great, dad." Natsu's eyes widened in surprise and his face turned as cherry red as Erza Scarlet's hair.

"Y-y-you were there?" Natsu stuttered out. Gray began to laugh.

"Why would I leave you alone?" he chuckled, "I was bored with homework so I went outside for some fresh air, and so I could move around. I was meditating on the bench by the door when your dad came to pick you up."

"That would explain why I still felt your presence," the pinkette mumbled, just loud enough for the raven to hear. The older boy smirked satisfied for a moment before noticing that Natsu was trying to derail the conversation.

"Stop changing the subject," Gray nudged Natsu and laughed when the younger boy started chuckling, "Seriously, though, why do you avoid your dad?" Natsu's face dropped slowly to an all too wizened frown, as the two reached the only stop light along the road to Gray's house.

"The way my father was two weeks ago was a rarity. If you were in my shoes, you'd avoid your father too. Now can we just drop this." Gray took a long moment to stare at Natsu in concern, Natsu staring ahead the whole time.

"Okay," he reassured softly, and the rest of the ride to Gray's passed in silence.

Gray pulled up in his driveway behind his mother's tan 2000 Honda Odyssey.

"Wow," Natsu stated in surprise. Gray looked over at his guest in bewilderment.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. That's just a _lot_ of bumper stickers." Gray started laughing at his friend's reaction. In truth, though Gray knew the car a head of him was tan, from this vantage point, one wouldn't know what the color was. The only part of the back of Ur's car that wasn't plastered in the color faded stickers was the window, and even that had a few stickers littering the rim. Gray was never phased by it though. He had his own car void of bumper stickers, he drove on highways for miles and hours in bumper to bumper traffic where a bumper sticker was rare, but the mosaic of plastic stickers fitting the trunk of Ur's car never phased him. As a matter of fact, Gray would have been much more surprised to see his mother's car void of stickers than seeing the collage Natsu was trying not gawk at as the boys sat in the driveway. To Gray, Mom's car meant stickers. It was as natural as breathing.

When the raven finally regained his breath from laughing at the awestruck look his pink haired friend was trying to suppress, he climbed out of the car and waited. Natsu climbed out too, but before the pinkette made any move to go inside, he took time to get a better view of the bumper sticker canvased car.

Gray waited patiently for Natsu to finish looking, but as the minutes passed by, he began to get antsy. Why was the teen taking so long to marvel at the sight? It was cold out, and Natsu hated the cold. Besides, Gray knew the sight was shocking, but it wasn't _that_ shocking. Some people were just crazy with bumper stickers. That was that. The raven was about to break his friend's concentration, when he realized that Natsu was actually _reading_ them. That would take all night! Gray stared, marveling at the pinkette until eventually he found himself following the junior's lead. Sure, the eighteen year old had seen the bumper stickers hundreds of thousands of times, but he never really took the time to look at them. They were always there. It wasn't near worth his time, yet here he found his gaze shifting from plastic decoration to plastic decoration while he waited for his friend.

There were the obvious ones: elementary and middle school achievement awards, church event handouts, marathon stickers for both running and biking, and Ultear's college sticker that Ur just had to have. Those, Gray would notice every time he looked at the car.

But then there were the smaller ones. Things Gray never remembered his mom attaining. They'd shown up in the myriad, and he never took notice: a deep blue one with white religious symbols from multiple religions spelling out 'coexist', a small square the same background color with a bright yellow equals sign, another long one with a white background and black letters spelling out 'make art' then red letters reading 'not war', a triangle that could fit in the equals sign square, rainbow colored. Gray grinned secretly. He should have never been afraid to tell his parents. The accepted him long before he brought it up.

The raven sucked in a cold breath, to try and reject his building tears, and accidentally got Natsu's attention.

"What's up?" the pinkette asked for a recap.

"What? Nothing," the raven replied still departing from his broken reverie. As if to wake himself, the older teen shook his head and suggested, "Let's go in."

Natsu rubbed his icy hands together and made his way to the front porch of Gray's house. "After you," he joked lightly as he waited for Gray to unlock the front door.

Gray stepped inside and held the door for Natsu, then called to inform whoever was home of their presence.

"We?" a seven year old boy called in response to the eighteen year old's 'We're home'.

The next thing Natsu saw was a head of silver hair running at the door and jumping in his face.

"Who're you? Are you Natsu! Why's your hair pink? Did you dye it? Are you gay? Gray's gay. I'm not really sure what that means, but I know he likes boys. Are you Gray's boyfrie-mph!"

Natsu's face grew as pink as his hair with the younger boy's growing enthusiasm, and Gray leapt to cover his brothers mouth.

"Ultear!" Gray called, refusing to release his struggling younger brother, "How much sugar did you give Lyon!?"

There was no response from his sister; however, at that moment sharp pain shot through Gray's hand as Lyon's pearly white teeth sunk into his brother's skin.

"Shit! Lyon!" but the eighteen year old's pained cries were ignored as Lyon went on to explain.

"Mommy gave me a sip of her coffee."

Horror spread across the raven's face as he muttered, "C-coffee?" The silver head beamed with pride and mischief.

"But I stole some more if it when she wasn't looking."

Gray almost yelled for his mother when Natsu finally found his voice.

"I'm Natsu. I am Natsu. My hair is naturally pink. No, it's not dyed. I am gay. I didn't know Gray was gay. Gay means you like someone of the same gender as yourself. So it makes sense that Gray likes boys. And I am not Gray's boyfriend," Natsu responded to all of Lyon's questions and statements with equal the enthusiasm with which they were asked. Gray's jaw went slack.

Finally, the raven dropped his climbing gear along with his head and pointer up the stairs to the left of the doorway.

"My room is to your right and at the end of the hall. Put your books away before dinner."

Natsu shrugged and went to do as he was told, when an averagely sized girl with long raven hair in a yellow head band appeared at the bottom of the steps as if by magic.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" the raven girl asked with her own hint of mischief in her somewhat sultry tone of speech. Ultear's words always did seem to saunter out of her mouth. "What would Mom think if she found out you were escorting innocent boys into your room when she wasn't home. Gray's face got ten degrees hotter at that statement.

"Sh-shut up, Ultear!" the eighteen year old snapped, "I was just giving him a better place to drop his stuff then in the middle of the hallway! Mom wouldn't like that very much either!" But Gray's insistence fell on deaf ears as Ultear's attention shifted else where.

"So," her sly and curious eyes sized up the boy in front of her as she deduced, "you must be Natsu."

"Aye, ma'am," Natsu answered coolly and with the most carefree of grins, "but, I'm sorry, I don't know your name." Ultear redirected an impressed gaze at Gray.

"Polite. I like it," then she turned back to Natsu, "I'm Gray's older sister, Ultear. Welcome." She stepped aside and let the pinkette up the stairs to put his stuff down. "So that's the infamous Natsu." Ultear smirked at Gray, "You're right. He is cute. Shame he's gay or I might even steal him from you."

Gray made a move to argue, but Ultear just ruffled his hair and winked as she used the banister to spin herself toward the kitchen.

"Lyon, come help me set the table," she called after herself casually, and the hyper silver head hopped behind her to the kitchen, leaving a flustered Gray at the door. Tonight was going to be interesting.

* * *

**Haha! I'm evil! There was no "lovely surprise"! Except maybe acceptance . . . But it was long! So don't kill me yet, or else the story will never be done! I realized when writing this how much Natsu seems like Edo Natsu. Haha. I gotta tell you guys, I'm having a really hard time with this scene. I really don't know how I want this dinner to go. Should it be calm, easy, and potentially boring? Should it be hyper and crazy and out of control? Should it be super quiet and awkward? Should it be rowdy but awesome? And of all these choices, how do I write them!? Review and help me? Maybe? Well until next time, I suppose.**


End file.
